Treating skins, textile fabrics, and the like



P. POSER TREATING SKINS, TEXTILE FABRICS, AND THE LIKE Aug. 26, 1947.

Filed May '16, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet l Invenfir JZmZ Poser P. POSERTREATING SK INS, TEXTILE FABRICS, AND THE LIKE Filed May 16, 1946 7Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 26, 1947. P. POSER TREATING SKINS TEXTILE FABRICS,AND THE LIKE Fi led May 16, 1946 7 She ets-She aet 3 mm iiiim m IQQiIIPIL Flo -s P. PO'SER I Aug. 26,1947.

TREATING SKINS, TEXTILE FABRICS; AND THE'LIKE Filed May 16, 1946 '7Sheets-Sheet 4 TREATING SKINS, TEXTILE FABRICS, AND THE LIKE I My lwenrA FIG 6 Aug. 26, 194

7. P. POS'ER 2,426,372

TREATING SKINS, TEXTILEFABRICS, AND THE LIKE Filed May 16, 1946 '7Sheets-Sheet 6 I I Au 26, 194-7; P. P SE'R 2,426,372

TREATING SKINS, TEXT ILE FABRICSQIIND THE LIKE Filed May 16, 1946 7Sheets-Sheet 7 W W/22am,

Patented Aug. 26, 1947 TREATING SKINS, TEXTILE FABRICS, AND THE LIKEPaul Poser, London, England Application May 16, 1946, Serial No.670,188/

In Great Britain May 16, 1945 '7 Claims. (CI. 69-31) This inventionrelates to the treating, as by washing, bleaching, dyeing,waterproofing, and complete or partial drying, of fur skins, skivers,small hides, and textile materials (all of which are hereinafterreferred to as skins), and my object is to provide an improved method ofand apparatus for these purposes whereby the treatment can be carriedout efficiently under complete and continuous control in a rapid, safe,and clean manner, with a minimum of risk of toxic injury to the operatorand of the need for handling the skins. For convenience of descriptionthe term reagent is used, in the following description, to denote anyappropriate liquor employed in treating the skins.

According to this invention the method of treating skins consists of thefollowing steps, (a) arranging a number of skins in a stack within anhermetically-sealed chamber, (b) circulating the appropriate reagentacross the chamber in a direction which is substantially parallel to theplanes of the individual skins, causing different portions of theperipheries of the skins in the stack to be presented to the flow of thereagent (e. g., by maintaining a steady reagent flow and moving thestack with reference thereto, or by maintaining the stack stationary andreversing the direction of reagent flow), (d) subjecting the skins tocontinuous fiexure and repeated alternations of pressure increments indifferent parts in a direction transverse to the reagent flow so as toforce the reagent intimately into the substance of the skins, (e)controlling the temperatureof the reagent, and (1), after withdrawingthe reagent, drying or partially drying the skins in the chamber.

The method may include the further steps of initially exhausting, ofair, the chamber in which the skins are to be treated so as to securebetter penetration of the reagent, and of exhausting the said chamberafter any processing step has been completed so as better to remove anyreagent which is wetting the skins. The method may include thecirculating of heated air to facilitate oxydising and drying the skins.

According to a further feature of the invention, the apparatus forcarrying out the improved method includes a chamber in which the skinsare to be placed in a stack, a header tank for a reagent to be used inthe treatment, means for controlling the reagent flow at a varying speedand pressure through the chamber and the stack of skins, the latter tobe so arranged that the planes of the individual skins will besubstantially parallel to the direction of the said flow,

means for causing different portions of the peripheries of the skins inthe stack to be presented to the flow of the reagent, means serving forrepeatedly and alternately applying pressure increments to differentareas of the skins, in a direction generally normal to the fluid flow,such means also serving for flexing the skins continuously at the sametime, valve means for controlling the flow of the reagent, andthermostatically-controlled heating means for the reagent.

The change of direction of the reagent flow with reference to the skinsmay be effected by providing the chamber with two alternative inlet ductmeans at two opposite ends of the chamber, and two alternative outletducts at the said opposite ends of the chamber, valve means beingprovided for selectively including one of each of the alternative ductsin a closed circuit, including a pump, for the reagent.

These inlet duct means may be in the form of single ducts, or they maybe groups of ducts or injectors, spaced apart, so as to secure arelatively wider distribution of the pressure-flow through the skins. Itis preferred, in either case, for there to be only two alternativeoutlet ducts although, obviously, more could be provided according tothe distribution of pressure-flow required. Alternatively, the chambermay have one inlet and one outlet, oppositely arranged, and a reversiblepump be employed. Or, again, the chamber may have one inlet and oneoutlet, and the stack of skins may be rotated so that the relativedirection of reagent flow is constantly changed, a non-reversible pumpbeing used in this case. The chamber can be of any suitable shape andthe flow of reagent be arranged to take place vertically or horizontallyin the chamber.

Preferably, the apparatus embodies a working chamber which is rotativelysupported so that different phases of a compound treatment (by which Imean a treatment including a plurality of steps, some of which,possibly, require a different reagent, and others, possibly, consistingof a drying or partial drying of the skins) can be carried out with thechamber stationary, rotat ing relatively-slowly, or rotating at arelativelyhigh speed, as appropriate. The chamber, also, will preferablyhave inlets and/or outlets, for the reagent and for air. The apparatuswill also, preferably, be capable of being heated to a desiredtemperature, as necessary, under thermostatic control, it will havemeans for controlling the quantity and pressure of the reagent-flow, andfor indicating and recording physical data (such 3 as temperatures;pressures, time-periods) of the treatment.

Thermometers, heaters, and flow-meters, can be provided, as necessary,for the reagent in different positions in the circuit.

Provision is preferably made for charging the aforesaid header tank withalternative reagents through a pipe provided with a stop valve andconnected to a chemical mixing chamber. Hot water can be supplied from acistern, through a stop valve, to the mixing chamber where the reagentscan be mixed to the desired concentration. The mixing chamber, theheader tank, or both, may be heated.

According to a still further feature of the invention the chamber, forthe skins to .be treated, has a resiliently compressible internal bed atone side, and at least a pair of pistons at'another side spaced apartand adapted alternately to act on the skins (either directly or by meansof pressure waves set up in the reagent) in conjunction withthesaidbedfor squeezing, releasing, and flexing different parts of the skins soas to cause the reagent to flow intimately into their texture.

Various forms of apparatus, according to the invention, are describedbelow, by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.In these latter:

Figures 1 and 2 show, diagrammatically, a side elevation and plan,respectively, of one form of apparatus, some of the piping beingrelatively displaced in the-two viewsfor'ease of illustration;

Figure 3 is a part-sectional elevation, to an enlargedsoale, of thskin-containing chamber and other. parts of the apparatus shown inFigures 1 and2;

Figure 4 is a side elevation, corresponding to.

Figure l, 'but showing the apparatus encased and with one form ofcontrol boardwith which it can.

be provided;

Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, a section, (taken on the line 55 ofFigure 6), and a sectional plan of another form of skin-containingchamber incorporating a modified arrangement for applying-pressureincrements to the skins and for relieving the said pressure increments;

Figure 'Z'is a diagram, showing in sectional elevation, another formofthe apparatus, various of the components, however, being displaced fromtheir proper positions to facilitate the description of the hydraulicand pneumatic circuits;

Figure 8 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus illustrated. byFigure 7, but showing the components in their intended positions, thesection being taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 9;

Figure 9 is a part-sectional plan, corresponding with Figure 8, theportion in. section being taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 10; and

Figure 10is a front elevation of the apparatus illustrated'byFigures '7to 9, showing the instrumentation and controls.

The apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 4 comprises a chamber, generallyindicated at 2|, for the skins, a water tank 22, a mixing chamber 23,and a header tank 24 for the reagent. Of these components, which areoperatively associated in the manner hereinafter described, the chamber2! is supported on a pedestal 25, Whilst the others are supported by apair of horizontal framemembers 26 (one only of which is shown)-theheader tank by the brackets 27, the mixing chamberby the staging 28-,28a, and the tank 22 by the stretchers .29. The frame-members 26 aresupported by pairs of uprights; one pair being constituted by downwardextensions of the sta ing members 28a and the others being shown at 3|.The aforesaid components, and others to be hereinafter referred to, arearranged compactly, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, and encased asshown in Figure 4, additional frame-members, such as the uprights 32 andhorizontals 33 (see Figure 1) being provided for the attachment of thecasing panelling 34.

The water tank 22, which ma incorporate any suitable heating means, suchas steam coils, but, preferably, an electrical heater (not shown), hasan inlet pipe 35 provided with a stop-cock 36, and an outlet pipe 3'!which communicates, through a stop-cock 38, with the mixing chamber.

The mixing chamber is shown as having a closable charging opening 39, astirrer All to be drivenby an electric motor 4 l, and an outlet pipe 42to the header tank, the outlet being controllabl by the stop-cock 43. Italso has the actuating elements of a quantit meter and of a pHindicator, indicated, respectively, at 44 and 45, which are preferablyof a type which will give remote readings on a control panelashereinafter described.

The header tank 24 has an hermetically-sealing, removable, lid. 45.which may be of any suitablekind but which, as shown, is hinged at 41to. the tank and provided with a toothed quadrantllS, for coaction witha pinion to be driven by an electric motor 50, for raising the lid tothe dotted line position, shown in Figure 1, and for lowering it. Themotor is shown as being supported on a bracket 5| secured to theuprights 28a. The header tank is connected to a pump, hereinafterdescribed, for circulating the reagent, by a down-take pipe '52, througha stop-cock 53, and by an up-take pipe 54. It also is provided with anautomatic air-lock eliminator, indicated at in Figure 3.

The chamber 21 is provided with a removable, hermetica1lysealing, cover56, which may be adapted to be opened and closed in any suitable manner,but preferably by a quadrant 51 and pinion 58, driven by an electricmotor 59.- The cover 56- has a lower cylindrical portion whichregisters, whenthe cover is closed, with the inside of a ring fast withthe chamber, and a piston-like lower walljfilis guided, in anhermetically-sealing manner, in the said cylindrical portion and.

ring; The wall 6| can be raised'or lowered by a screw 62 and worm gear63 driven by an electric motor 64- mounted on the cover. When it isdesired to open the cover, the wall 6! has first to be withdrawn intothe cover, the motors 59 and 64'being electrically interlocked so thatthe two movements take place in proper sequence. The wall 5|incorporates two rams 65 which can, in the example given, bereciprocated by connecting rods 66 and disc cranks 61, one of theselatter being geared to be driven, by electric motor 68- and the otherthrough chain gearing'fifi. (Obviously, however, there may be more thantwo rams;v and in this case their respective. crank discs can be gearedto be driven by the motor 68-.) The rams may work in. unison, but willpreferably be out-of-phase. The purpose of'these rams is to producepulsations in the reagent, and their speed of reciprocation ispreferably automatically adjustable to the rate of reagent-flow through.the chamber (hereinafter described) so as to en sure that no cavitationtakes place. ber 2|: contains av perforated cylindrical basket lll'whichis removably mounted on a central shaft II and provided with. afine-mesh gauze lining 121-. On the perforated bottom plateof the bas-The cham-- ket is placed a bed 12 of resilient material, such as spongerubber or air-filled rubber balls, which will react to the pulsationscaused by the rams B5. The shaft II extends through anhermetically-sealing gland I3, journal bearings I4, and an oil seal 15,and carries a coupling I6 (which may be of the centrifugal slippingtype) to an electric driving motor TI. The shaft is located by a thrustbearing 14a.

A sealing ring 78 of the wall 6|, when the latter is in its loweredposition, makes hermetical.

sealing contact with the upper end of the basket I0, which end isflanged inwardly ior'this purpose, and aXially-arrangedbafiles I22 (seeFigure 6) are preferably disposed between the basket and the wall of thechamber so as to prevent shortcircuiting of the reagent.

The pipes 52 and 54 connect the top and bottom of the header tank,through stop-cocks l9 and BI] respectively, to a reversible,variable-quantity, pressure pump 8i which may be of the type which hasplungers operated by eccentrics mounted on a driven shaft, or of othersuitable type. The pump is to be driven by an electric motor 82. Thequantity and pressure of the pump output can be governed, by an electricrelay, from the control panel. The pipe 52 is connected to the chamber2! through a reducing valve 83, and the chamber is also connected, bypipes 84 and 85, to the pump BI, through stop-cocks 85, 81,respectively. The pipes 84 and 85 are also connected to pipes H0, III,respectively, leading to opposite sides of the chamber 2!. Thereagentflow circuit is hermetically sealed throughout and all air orother gases are removed by the automatic air-lock eliminator 55 of theheader tank.

During some one or other of the treatments, the reagent in chamber 2Imay be absorbed by the skins, and valves are arranged so that the saidchamber wil1 always be full. These valves comprise a float valve 88, thereducing valve 83 (which is to be set to maintain the desired pressurein chamber 2i), a safety valve 89 to return excess pressure to theheader tank 24 through the pipes 98 and 54, and an overflow valve BIwhich leads to a filter hereinafter described. With stop valves I9 and813 closed the header tank is isolated from the pump, and with thelatter working a constant circulation of reagent through chamber 2! isobtained. By reversing the pump the direction of circulation can bereversed. A drain-cock 92 is fitted to the bottom of the chamber 2| andis connected by a pipe 93 to a combined reagent-filter and fatseparator94, a pipe 95, leading from the overflow valve 9|, joining the pipe 93at 95. The separator is connected by a pipe 91 to an exhauster 98, to bedriven by an electric motor H5, for expelling intoxicated air, and by apipe 99 to a pump I00, to be driven by an electric motor IIB, forreturning filtered and purified reagent to the header tank through thepipe IBI and stop-cock I02.

An air compressor I93, which is arranged so as also to function as avacuum pump, is driven by an electric motor I25, and the discharge pipeN5 of the compressor is connected through pipes I65 and H37, with stopvalves I 68 and I29, respectively, to the inlets IIG, III, of thechamber 2i. An air relief valve H2 is fitted in the wall SI of the cover55 and the latter has air escape holes, one of which is shown at I I3 inFigure 3. The intake for the compressor has a filter I I4.Alternatively, an external source of compressed air could be used.

By setting the various stop-cocks, as follows; the following conditionscan be obtained:

(a) All stop-cocks closed.Chamber 2| shut off completely from reagentand air.

(b) Stop-cocks 86 and 8'! open-Flow of reagent only through the chamberfrom left to right, or from right to left, according to the direction inwhich the pump 8I is set to operate.

(0) Stop-cock I 28 or I09 open.Flow of air only from right to left, orleft to right, respectively.

(d) Stop-cocks 86 and I69 open.-Flow of reagent combined with compressedagitatin air from left to right.

(e) Stop-cocks El and I68 open-Flow of reagent combined with compressedagitating air from right to left.

(1) Stop-cock I08 or I09 open and compressor I63 acting as a vacuumpump.Maintenance of vacuum in chamber 2 I.

Remote indicating and recording flow meters i ll, of Venturi type or thelike, are fitted in flow pipes 52, 54, ME), and III to and from chamber2i, and thermostatically-controlled heating elements IE8 (which may beelectrically or steamoperated) are provided for the said pipes and inair pipes Hit, Nil, so that the circulating reagent, or air, or both,can be raised to the desired temperature. The circulating pipes HI I IIwhere they enter the chamber 2i, may be bell-mouthed or flared, asshown, or, alternatively, they may be divided into a number of multiplejets. Actuating elements, for remote reading quantity and pH indicatorsdd, 25, similar to those of the mixing chamber are provided for theheader tank, and a pH indicator is provided for the chamber 2i, thequantity meters preferably being of the type having floats for makingcontact on electrical resistances; Sockets H9 and I 29 for remotereading thermometers and remote reading pressure indicaters,respectively, are fitted in the chamber 2! and the header tank 24. Thetransmission for all of these instruments to the control panel iselectrical.

All of the electric motors embodied in the apparatus are arranged foralternative automatic remote control through a master time switch I23,or hand control through remote push buttons I25, these switches being onthe control panel-see Figure 4. The opening and closing of all stopcockscan also be effected automatically through the master time switch I23,or hand remote control through separate switch levers I25 fitted withindicators.

Remote-control thermostatic regulators I26, for the various heaters areprovided on the control panel, and these may work on the principle ofdifferential expansion, or the like, operating relays which controlmercury-tube switches governing the electrical energy input to theheaters 5!, these regulators incorporating thermometers for indicatingand recording the temperatures due to the heaters.

The panel also has indicating and recording thermometers I2l to give anindependent check of the temperatures in the chamber 2i and the headertank 26. Indicating and recordin flow meters I28 (connected to the flowmeters Ill) and indicating and recording pressure gauges I29 (connectedto the chamber 2i and the header tank 24, respectively) are provided onthe panel. The latter also has quantity meters I36 and pH meters I3I,connected to the actuating elements 44, 45, respectively, of the mixingand header tanks and the chamber 2!, as appropriate.

The electric motors TI and 82 (for driving the basket and the reagentpump, respectively) preferably incorporate tachometers I32, which haveremote-reading dials I33 on the panel.

All of the meters on the panel can be of any suitable known type.

The chamber El and the header tank may have inspection windows I34 andmeans for giving an audible warning when the fluid level is too low.

The master time switch I23 is geared to close and open electricalcircuits in a predetermined sequence, and at predetermined intervals, soas to operate the electric motor starters and the stop-cocks (throughelectrical relays where necessary), and also to supply current to theheater elements H8 and a heater for the water tank 22 if required. Themaster time switch contactmakers are adjustable to enable the timing andorder of the cycle of operations to be varied, so that, for instance,the chamber 2i could be exhausted, the skins could then be treated, fordifferent purposes, by say, three diiferent reagents, each suchtreatment being preceded by a washing step, the basket being retainedstationary, or rotated slowly, and the direction of reagent flow throughthe chamber being maintained in one direction, or reversed, as requisiteor desirable. The skins could then be centrifuged, by rotating thebasket at a relativelyhigh speed, and finally air dried.

The basket can be provided with hooks, or the like (not shown), so as toenable it to be lifted out of the chamber 2i, by a crane, to facilitatecharging it with skins and removing them.

As an alternative to circulating the reagent and air as above described,the respective pipes could be connected to the bottom and top of thechamber 2! so that the fiow is vertical, in which case the upper pipefor the reagent would pass through the cover 56 and be flexible. Withsuch a construction and as shown in Figures and 6, the reciprocatingrams 65a would be arranged horizontally and be operated by crank discsIiia, vertical shafts I35 and pinions I36 (one only of which latter isshown), and the pinions would engage with a ring gear [3]. The ring gearis driven by a pinion J38 on the shaft of an electric motor I35 thespeed of the motor being capable of adjustment to give the requiredconditions.

-It may, in some instances, be decided to carry out certain treatmentswith the cover 36 open, and the float valve 88 and overflow 9.!will-allow this to be done.

Referring now to the apparatus illustrated by Figures 7 to there is astationary cylindrical outer tank I68 and a rotary inner cylindricalbasket-like tank Iii into which latter the skins are to be placed in astack. The tank MI has an annular rubber cushion I62 (filled with air orsprings), at the bottom, surrounding a central platen I 33, and thecushion and platen are covered by a soft rubber sheet M4. The tank Hican be rotated, through a, worm-wheel I46 and worm I41, by an electricmotor Hi8 which can drive the worm through either of two alternativegear pairs I49 and IE9, or vNil and I52, contained in a gear boX I53, soas either to drive the tank slowly or quickly. The platen I53 has an e 1shaft I55 carrying, at the bottom, a cam disc which can coact with a.cam track fast with the stationary tank Mt so that, as the tank i ii r0-tates, the platen will be reciprocated vertically. The worm-wheel isfast with the hollow shaft 2M, which, in turn, is fast with the bottomof the tank MI, and the shaft I54 is splined, or

otherwise relatively-non-rotatably but slida'bl'y held in the shaft 201.

The tank I4I has a removable lid I56 carrying two or more rams I51 whichare preferably covcred-with soft rubber and which are spring-biased intotheir upward positions. The tank I40 has a lid .I5-8 hinged to it at I59and provided with clamping devices I60 to hold it closed in anhermetically-sealing manner. The lid l58' has a pair of annular cams I6I into contact with which the pairs of supporting stems I62 of the ramsI 51 are urged by their springs. Thus, during rotation of the tank I4Ithe rams I 5''! are reciprocated and, together with the cushion I42 andthe platen, cause vertical pulsations and flexing of the skins so as topromote intimate contact with the latter, of the reagent being used.

The lid I58 is provided with a cable I63 which is passed over a pulleyI64 and secured to a winding handle I55 for raising and lowering thelid.

Beneath the tanks I40 and MI is a transfer tank I66, and thislast-mentioned tank communicates with the tank I41 through the passageI61, the tank I i I, in turn, communicating with a bulge H38 in the tankME.

A header tank I69, provided with a charging opening III) for thereagent, with a water supply pipe I 93 having a stop-cock I94 andcontrolled by a float-operated valve H5, and internally heated as bysteam pipes, I'II, communicates, through a stop-cock I72 and pipe I13,with the tank I65, which latter may be provided with athermostatically-controlled heating element I14 to maintain, or adjust,the temperature of the reagent.

The steam coil I'II is fed from a supply pipe I88 having a stop-cock IE9and a valve I90, the amount of opening of the latter being subject tocontrol by the thermostat I9 I.

The tank I68, into which the reagent from the tank MI also flows,discharges through a pipe I15 and coarse and fine filters I18, I11,respectively, to the intake of a pump I18. This pump is of any suitabletype and is driven by an electric motor I79. The pump delivery pipe Iincludes a three-way valve I8I which can, according to its setting,interrupt the circuit, deliver reagent through the pipe I82 to theaforesaid bulge I68 so as to cause a pressure flow through the stack ofskins, or deliver used reagent through the pipe I83 to a sewer ordiluting tank, not shown.

A compressor-exhauster I84-driven byan electric motor I 92 and havingits compressor side delivery, say, at the left of Figure 7, and its eX-hauster side intake at the right of that figure, communicatesalternatively, through one of two two-way valves I 85, I8Ei, with a pipeI 81 leading to the aforesaid bulge I68. A stop-cock 30 is providedbetween the connections of the opposite SIiBdTes of thecompressor-exhausterto the pipe According to the setting of the valvesI85 and I86, reagentcan be induced from the header tank I69 into thetanks I49, MI, and I66 or, with the valve I8I suitably adjusted,compressed air can be delivered to the tanks I 49, Idl, and I66 forclearing the reagent from the system and passing it intothe sewer ordiluting tank. The stop-cock I12 and'the valves I81, I85, and I 86 arepreferably electro-magnetically operated, and, togethe with the heaters,the pump, and the compressor-exhauster, are subject to control by atime-switch and, separately, by individual manually operated switches,These switches (which are not shown) can conveniently be on a controlpanel mounted on the front of the header tank. On this panel are alsothe indicating and recording portions I96 of thermometers thetemperature-sensitive portions of which are disposed where necessary ordesirable, one or more pH indicators I91, reagent flow-meters I98, and aprocess indicator I99. The header tank and the tank I40 are preferablyprovided with liquid-level indicators 290.

In operation, when the tank MI has been filled with skins, the lids I56and I58 are closed, and the tank I4I caused to revolve at slow speed.The compressor-exhauster exhausts air from the tanks I40, MI and I66,and the lid I58 is then tightened down by means of clamps I60. When theheader tank has been filled with water, to which any necessary chemicalshave been added, and has reached the process temperature, the valve I12is opened to allow its contents to flow into tanks I66, MI and M9. Thevalve I12 is then closed, and the header tank refilled ready for nextprocess-step. The pump I18 is then started up and forces the reagentinto the bulge I68 and through the tank I4I. The reagent is thus forcedbetween the skins (which are pulsating, flexing, and revolving with thetank) in intimate contact, the reagent then passing through the portsI61 into the tank I66 for further circulation. On the completion of eachprocess-step, the three-Way valve I8I is opened to sewer or dilutingtank, the pump I13 is stopped, and the compressor-exhauster caused toeject all of the reagent from tanks I40, MI and IE6 to the sewer ordiluting tank. The tank MI is now driven at high speed and the reagentwetting the skins centrifuged away, thus partly drying the skins. Afterthe removal of the reagent has been completed, the compressed air valveI85 is returned to normal, and the compressor-exhauster caused toexhaust all air from the system preparatory to carrying out the next'process-step, if any.

In carrying out a complete treatment, the individual processes, such ascleaning, washing, dyeing, water-proofing, etc., are carried out in thedesired order, it being only necessary for the operator to add theessential chemicals into the header tank I69 as indicated on the processindicator I99. All fumes and gases are removed from the apparatus onejection of the reagents, thus safeguarding the operator's health andgivin healthier working conditions. The skins can be finished in analmost dry condition and require very little drying.

In a modified form of the apparatus of Figures '1 to 10, the basket-liketank MI is not rotatable and the pump I18 and the compressor-exhausterI84 are either made reversible or connected to the said tank throughreversing-valve means so as to enable the direction of reagent flow andair flow through the tank to be reversed. In this case the rams I51would be driven by an independent mechanism such, for instance, as by amechanism similar to that described with reference to Figure 3. Allparts of the apparatus which come into contact with the reagent may bemade of appropriate corrosion-resistive metal, or of metal protected byenamelling, plating or a covering of rubber, ebonite or other suitablesub- 7 stance, as appropriate.

prising a chamber in which the skins are to be placed in a stack, aheader tank for a reagent to be used in the treatment, means forpropelling the reagent through the chamber in a direction from edge toedge of the skins in the stack, means for controlling said propellingmeans to vary the speed and pressure of the reagent flow, means forrelatively presenting different portions of the peripheries of the skinsin the stack to the reagent at entry to the chamber, means for producingpressure increments on difierent areas of the skins in a directiongenerally normal to the surfaces thereof thereby to continuously flexthe skins, valve means for controlling the flow of the reagent, andthermostatically-controlled heating means for the reagent.

2. Apparatus, for use in treating skins, comprising a chamber in whichthe skins-are to be placed in a stack, a header tank for a reagent to beused in the treatment, means included in a closed circuit for propellingthe reagentthrough the chamber in a direction from edge to edge of theskins in the stack, means for controlling said propelling means to varythe speed and pressure of the reagent flow, means for reversing thedirection of reagentflow through said chamber so that different portionsof the peripheries of the skins in the stack are presented to thereagent at entry to the chamber, means for producing pressure incrementson different areas of the skins in a direction generally normal to thesurfaces thereof thereby to continuously flex the skins, valve means forcontrolling the flow of the reagent, and thermostatically-controlledheating means for the reagent.

3. Apparatus, for use in treating skins, comprising a chamber, a rotarybasket in said chamber in which the skins are to be placed in a stack, aheader tank for a reagent to be used in the treatment, means forpropelling the reagent through the chamber in a direction from edge toedge of the skins in the stack, means for controlling said propellingmeans to vary the speed and pressure of the reagent flow, means forrotating said basket so that different portions of the peripheries ofthe skins in the stack are presented to the reagent at entry to thechamber, means for producing pressure increments on different areas ofthe skins in a direction gen erally normal to the surfaces thereofthereby to continuously flex the skins, valve means for controlling theflow of the reagent, and thermostatically-controlled heating means forthe re-- agent.

4. Apparatus, for use in treating skins, comprising a chamber in whichthe skins are to be placed in a stack, a header tank for a reagent to beused in the treatment, means for propelling the reagent through thechamber in a direction from edge to edge of the skins in the stack,means for controlling said propelling means to vary the speed andpressure of the reagent flow, means for relatively presenting differentportions of the peripheries of the skins in the stack to the reagent atentry to the chamber, a plurality of reciprocatory rams in one wall ofsaid chamber, a resiliently compressible and expansible bed at anopposite wall of said chamber, means for reciprocating said rams so thatsaid rams and said bed conjointly apply pressure increments to andrelieve the pressure increments from different areas of the skins in adirection generally normal to the surfaces thereof thereby ,tocontinuously flex the skins, valve means for controlling the flow of thereagent, and thermostatically-controlled heating means for the reagent.

5. Apparatus, according to claim 1, incorporating a compressor-exhausterand valve means whereby air can be delivered under pressure to, orwithdrawn from, the chamber at either of the connections of the latterto the reagent-circulatingsystem.

6. Apparatus, for use in treating skins, comprising a chamber in whichthe skins are to be placed in a tack, a header tank for a reagent to beused in the treatment, means for propelling the reagent through thechamber in a direction from edge to edge of the skins in the stack,means for controlling said propelling means to vary the speed andpressure of the reagent flow, means for relatively presenting difierentportions of the peripheries of the skins in the stack to the reagent atentry to the chamber, means for producing pressure increments ondifierent areas of the skins in a direction generally normal to thesurfaces thereof thereby to continuously flex the skins, valve means forcontrolling the flow of the reagent, thermostatically-controlled heatingmeans for the reagent, electric-magnetically actuable means,respectively, for controlling said reagent propelling means, the meansfor relatively presenting different portions of the peripheries of theskins to the entering reagent, the pressure increment producing means,and the valve means, and an electric master timercontrolled unit forcontrolling said electro-magnetically actuable means in timed sequentialrelationship.

'7. Apparatus, for use in treating sln'ns, comprising a chamber in whichthe skins are to be placed in a stack, a header tank for a reagent to beused in the treatment, a reagent inlet, comprising a plurality of spacedducts, for said chamber, a reagent outlet for said chamber, means forpropelling the reagent through the chamber in a direction from edge toedge of the skins in the stack, means for controlling said propellingmeans to vary the speed and pressure of the re.- agent flow, said spacedinlet ducts distributing the flow of reagent relatively widely acrosssaid chamber, means for relatively presenting different portions of theperipheries of the skins in the stack to the reagent at entry to thechamber,

means for producing pressure increments on difierent areas of the skinsin a direction generally normal to the surfaces thereof to flex theskins, valve means for controlling the flow of the reagent, andthermostatically-controlled heating means for the reagent.

PAUL POSER.

